The National Choice Service

People injure themselves all the time, but is it on purpose? Is it their fault? It has to be someone’s. Whole areas of litigation focuses on this particular set of conditions. People live and die in financial terms as well as physical ones every day.

Luckily in this country there is such a thing as free health care. But does everyone deserve this wonderful charity? There are people who put themselves at risk – deliberately. Should those with dangerous jobs or hobbies get free health care? Thinking about this however: are all illnesses, disease, injuries based on lifestyle or accident? Just walking along the street or going to see your nan will put you in danger. Should daredevils or those who work with lepers pay for their (frequent) treatment? Should we be taxed on our ability to avoid (or meet with) danger?

Looking at it from a different point of view, are we masters of our own destinies? Or is someone out there putting ladders and slippery floors in front of us? God gave us free will, and the ability therefore to suffer – but he also gave us the NHS. Is this a similar metaphor for life? Does our sin or those of others affect us and send us to the hospital bed – or the morgue?

This leads me to think religion and the NHS have similarities far reaching in our society. Americans have to pay, but then they have different values to ours; is this tolerance? Apathy? Capitalism?

I am glad we have a caring and benevolent NHS, even if it has many faults. Truly doctors and nurses are the Priests of our country. You can choose whichever religion you want, but you’ll always have the NHS.